Tamed Afterthoughts
by Whose Liner
Summary: Two of the Digimon Tamers spend an afternoon together, sharing their feelings of separation anxiety, due to the loss of their digimon...and all the while growing closer to each other...


**Disclaimer:** I don't Digimon or anything relating to it, be it from season one, two, three, four, five, six, se-

Wait, does the series even go that **far?**

**Author Notes:** After watching the end of Digimon Tamers, I thought that it was pretty sad the way Takato and the others lost their digimon, even more so since Jeri lost hers early. (Poor Leomon.) Well anyway, this is supposed to be my first "third season" fic, so tell me what you think afterwards, okay? Enjoy!

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Digimon - Tamed Afterthoughts

**RRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!**

The bell rang, marking the not only the end of the school hours, but in a more symbolic sense, the end of the of the school week, as well. Like all teachers, a woman named Ms. Nami gave the words that always came out of her mouth when the week ended...

"Okay, class! Have a nice weekend and I'll see you all on Monday!"

A short, light-brown haired boy got up from his desk, put his goggles on (over his forehead), picked up his backpack, and headed for the door. Takato Matsuki slowly left the room, with a heavy heart. Ever since the final battle against evil on Earth, he was feeling pretty down. It wasn't like anything he had ever felt before, even though he was only thirteen. But fighting side by side with his own creation – his very own digimon – was an absolutely indescribable feeling.

Unfortunately, his (and all the other) digimon were forced to return to the Digital World. And it seemed so unfair. From Takato's perspective, this wasn't at all how fate was supposed to play out. After a crisis that him and the rest of his dear friends were forced to participate in, everything was meant to have a happy, joyous ending.

Takato remembered that horrible moment. He shed many tears that day. But it wouldn't be good to continue dragging on the inner emotional pain like this. Stopping in the school hallway (directly outside his classroom door), he considered his possible options. What to do now? Hang out with Kazu and Kenta, going against them in yet another match of the more than famous Digimon card game? Go home and actually do his homework? Walk around town aimlessly?

"Hmmm..." he almost whispered. "Homework, huh? I guess I might as well. What does it matter, anyway? It's not like Guilmon will be waiting for me in the park anymo-"

"Rrrrruff! Arf! Arf!" went a high-pitched voice.

"Ahhhhh!"

Takato was so startled that he backed all the way into the wall. His eyes went wide as he saw a fox-like hand puppet directly in his face. Immediately, he knew who it was. He locked eyes with the brown-haired girl to which the hand puppet was attached.

"Jeri!" he almost whined. "Thanks! I may never have the hiccups **again!**"

"Hee, hee, hee!" she cutely giggled (with an equally cute closed-eyes, smiling expression).

His good friend Jeri Katou looked at him with a very good-natured and innocent face. Sometimes, Takato couldn't help but blush at her. And this situation was no exception.

"Oh...come on, Takato!" she exclaimed. "I was just fooling around! It's just my way of saying 'hi'!"

_If that's how she greets people, then I'd hate to see how she __**scares**__ them_, Takato thought.

"Whaddya want anyway, Jeri?" he impatiently asked.

"Not much. Just...umm..."

Jeri began to blush a little. Thankfully, Takato didn't seem to notice.

"Just what?"

"Well, I just thought that...maybe you and I could do something...**together?**"she asked in a noticeably shy voice.

Takato exhaled deeply and sighed.

"Sorry, Jeri...but I kinda wanna be alone right now, okay? Maybe another time."

"O...okay," she nodded obediently. Takato passed her and she kept observing him from afar until he exited the school.

"What's the matter with him?"

Jeri raised the hand puppet to her own face, and started to more or less talk to herself.

"Arf, arf! I think Takato needs some company!"

"Oh...I don't know..."

"Ruff! Well, I think you should find him and talk to him! Arf, arf!"

Jeri sighed as her thoughts kept drifting back to Takato.

"Hmm...boys sure are strange."

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"Girls sure are weird," Takato said to himself as he walked down the street.

Looking up at the sky, he noticed that it was starting to get dark. Had he really been walking around that long? It didn't really matter. Nothing much seemed to matter since the digimon left Earth. He missed Guilmon so much. He may not have known that big, red, bread-craving creature for very long, but in the time that they knew each other, their bond was as strong as any pair of lifelong friends.

Takato didn't want to think anymore, as the struggling thoughts about his digimon partner saddened him every time he thought about it. Collecting his thoughts, Takato suddenly realized where he was. Looking ahead, he noticed that he wandered to the giant hill that was positioned above and far away from the city. One could get a real bird's eye view of the enormous town. As the lights of cars, houses, and skyscrapers began to flash, flicker, and turn on, the skies were orange, fading into a darker red, while the setting sun could be seen in the horizon.

Such lovely colors this scenery displayed. But even if Takato was a talented artist, he was too preoccupied to notice the beautiful ensemble of colors and shades shown before him. Nothing seemed to reach him until the voice spoke...

"I've been looking all over for you, Takato!"

The boy turned his head to see Jeri, who was leaning over above him, hands behind her back, eyes closed, innocent smile.

"Oh, Jeri! Hi!"

Takato loved that look on her face, it was the one of the most cutest things he'd ever seen, and he sometimes wished that Jeri would do that more often.

"Um, listen...I..."

"I know you said that you wanted to be left alone...but I've heard that when friends push you away, that really means they need you."

"Uhh..." Takato was pretty much at a loss for words, but she was right. As much as he didn't want to admit it...he actually did want someone to talk to.

"Well?" asked Jeri in a "motherly" tone, and putting her hands on her hips. "Do you want me to leave?"

Jeri seemed so serious, but Takato didn't want to push her away this time. He gave her a half-smile, and shook his head.

"No...you can stay."

The girl's smile got even bigger for some reason, and she blushed a little as she gently sat down on the grassy hill to the right of Takato, who scratched his head.

"Well, um...I guess the first thing I wanna say is...how didja find me?"

Jeri blushed a little more when he asked the question. "Um...well, I...uh...I followed you."

"Oh?"

"Y-yeah...after school, I dropped by your house, and asked your parents where you were. They said that you passed by and was headed up the north road. So I went that route, and then I saw you...so I followed you the rest of the way."

"Okay...well, I'm not like mad at you or anything..."

Jeri began to smile again and scooted just a little closer to Takato.

"I'm glad," she replied. "So, anyway...what was on your mind today, Takato?"

"A lot of things, I guess...but mostly Guilmon."

Jeri nodded in understanding and acknowledgement. "I get it...and **I** miss him, too. I miss all of them."

Takato lowered his head in depression. "I just wish he would come back..."

Jeri moved even closer and put a reassuring arm around him.

"Y'know, I'm sure that Guilmon misses you just as much as you miss him. And I'm positive that wherever he is...he's thinking about you, too."

Takato smiled warmly at his friend, who was trying her best to cheer him up.

"Thanks, Jeri."

Ironically, Jeri was the one Digimon Tamer who seemed to return to normal first (and the fastest to do so, as well). After the loss of Leomon, Jeri just wasn't the same. But when the awesome (and final) battle between the forces of good and evil commenced, she started to realize that losing Leomon was indeed a tragedy, but losing her friends (that were trying desperately to save her) – as well as her own life – would have been even worse. And reminiscing about all these stressful memories really made her think.

"Hey...I know that Guilmon wasn't my digimon...but that doesn't mean that I don't miss him any less."

"I know."

"I do still miss Leomon, though."

"Well, of course you would."

"I think about him all the time. Y'know...well, don't take this the wrong way, but some good came after he...left," she said with a sad smile.

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, when we went to the Digital World...I was amazed by it, but at the same time...I felt intimidated. I was embarrassed to say it at the time...but I was afraid."

"That's only natural, Jeri. I think to some point...we were **all** afraid."

"Even so...it was right before Leomon vanished that he told me to be strong. I later realized in my mind that the cause to stay that way wasn't just for my own sake, but for the team..."

"Go on."

"A chain is only strong as its weakest link...and **I** was that weak link-"

"That's not true!" Takato declared.

"But it **was!**" Jeri firmly stated, looking up to face her friend in the eyes. "Because Leomon left us, I really thought that it was because I was a bad tamer! I was so impressed with him that I got careless...and **he** paid the price."

Takato wanted to keep shouting out that it really wasn't her fault, but it looked like Jeri still had more to say. Rather then interrupt her, he let her continue.

"Even if a single member of a team weakens, it can cause everybody else to crumble and fall. And let's face it...I **AM** partially responsible for everything that happened in the city afterwards..."

Jeri now looked as if she was about to cry, but no tears came out. Her eyes weren't even watering. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"But Leomon said that I have to remain strong...so in my heart, I promised him I would."

_Is that why she seemed to recover more quickly than the rest of us?_

"And that also means you have to be strong **too**, Takato!"

"**What?**"

Jeri's face switched from sadness to assertiveness.

"Think about it! Guilmon always knew you as a normal, but cheerful and fun kid! Look at yourself, this **isn't** you! He wouldn't want you to be sad forever! That's why you have to be brave! For Guilmon, Leomon, the others...and **me.**"

Takato smiled at Jeri's comforting words. His next thoughts accidentally spilled out of his mouth.

"Wow...you've really matured, Jeri. And you've gotten kinda...pretty..." he almost mumbled.

"Huh?"

Takato just realized what he was starting to say, and quickly began to blush as he shut his trap. Jeri hadn't heard that last word, but whatever it was, it seemed that Takato was embarrassed to say it. But Jeri was determined to know what that word was.

"Oh...uh, I mean...eh, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Takato stuttered.

"No, wait...what did you just say, really?"

"Well, I...that's, uh..."

"TA-KA-TO!" Jeri playfully whined, grabbing hold of Takato's shoulders and shaking him back and forth.

Takato figured that he had nothing to lose, and decided to spill and tell as Jeri let go of him. But not before experiencing a brief headache.

"I...I said you were pretty, **okay!**"

Not too surprisingly, Jeri's smile grew bigger upon hearing these words.

"That's fine...I think you're cute, too."

Indeed, she was quite happy to hear this, and she decided to have fun with the situation. Specifically, she wanted to play around with Takato, and subtly hint at what she wanted to tell him.

Takato glanced up at the sky, which was darkening rapidly. While he was distracted, Jeri pulled something familiar out of her backpack. And that "something" successfully managed to tear Takato's attention away from the scenery.

"Arf, arf! Takato! Hey, I have a message for you!"

The goggle-wearing boy felt a little silly about talking to a hand puppet, but he decided to humor his friend and play along.

"Um...sure, shoot."

"Remember how Jeri only likes Takato as a friend?"

Jeri had said something to that effect previously, but that was so long ago; it actually took him a couple seconds to remember.

"Oh...yeah...why?"

"Ruff! Well, she says that she's having second thoughts about the whole thing...aren't you, Jeri? Arf, arf!"

Jeri turned the puppet towards herself as she said those words, and Takato noticed that she was definitely turning red.

"H-hey!" she said back to the puppet, clearly embarrassed. "You're supposed to be talking to Takato!"

"Ruff, ruff! Oops! Sorry, Jeri! I forgot!"

Takato laughed (on the inside) at how embarrassed she looked. Maybe it wasn't a nice thing for him to do...but what she was doing was pretty funny...and cute. He leaned his face over as if to talk to the puppet.

"Excuse me for interrupting...but does Jeri have something that she wants to tell me?"

Jeri looked at Takato shyly, slowly took off the puppet, and locked eyes with him.

"Y-yeah...Jeri wants to tell Takato...that she likes him...maybe **more** than a friend...and that she **really** cares for him."

"Well, you tell Jeri...that Takato cares a lot for her, too...and that he really thinks that she's a **very** special girl."

"I think you're a very special boy, Takato..."

The two close friends smiled warmly at each other, closed their eyes and reached out to embrace. Their arms wrapped around the other's body perfectly, like a ribbon tying itself around a gigantic gift. What happened next was initiated by Jeri, though even in the seconds that they were hugging, it was definitely a tough decision to make.

As they let go of each other, Jeri looked at Takato with young (but growing and true) love and affection in her eyes. Takato couldn't explain it, but somehow, he saw the feelings stirring within her cute eyes, which closed once again as she (**VERY** shyly) put her hand on his left cheek and pulled, sweetly kissing Takato "dangerously" close to his lips. The very edge of Jeri's lips barely brushed his, and she giggled as he felt him squirm.

"Oh, yeah..." Takato said. "Thanks for deciding to track me down."

"Now I'm really happy that I decided to follow you," she sweetly replied.

Jeri put her arm back around Takato's shoulder, and leaned her head against it, sighing. Takato felt new feelings churning inside his heart. Though he wasn't exactly sure what they were, he knew that he liked these feelings, and that Jeri was also experiencing whatever this was.

"Hey, Jeri...look," he stated, pointing out the fact that it was nighttime now, brightly displaying the stars had appeared.

"Wow...they're **so** beautiful!" she commented, in pure awe of the spectacle presented before them.

Takato also began to enjoy the company of the stars, but he quickly noticed that Jeri acted as if she was looking for something hidden in the sky.

"Lost something?" he joked.

Jeri kept that smile glued to her face as she responded. "Just admiring the constellations."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm. Look..."

"What?"

"It's the constellation...Leo."

Takato moved his eyes to where (he thought) she was pointing, and found it. For some, those stars twinkled more brightly than any of the others.

"He, Jeri...let's make a wish on the stars!" Takato suggested.

"We don't need to, Takato," Jeri replied.

"Why?"

"Because if your wish is the same as mine – and I really hope it is – then I'm sure that today...both of our wishes came true."

"I **know** they did."

Takato Matsuki and Jeri Katou stayed out late that night, and despite what they said, they decided to silently wish upon the stars that made up the constellation, Leo. They didn't need to tell each other what they were wishing for, though...they both could practically read each other's mind. They prayed to the stars, skies, and heavens for their wish to come true.

They wished that no matter what, whether they stayed as friends, or became something more, they hoped with all their heart...that they would always be together.

**THE (TAMED) END**

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Ahhhhh, I just love writing a short n' sweet fanfic, don't you? Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to review, huh? Afterwards, give yourselves a firm pat on the back, cuz' you **deserve** it! Later, dudes!


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